Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2006/ia/paper-4/3c/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ia Paper 4 3C Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Let be the car's mass and let be its forward speed. Initially the driven contact surfaces slip backward relative to the ground because . Thus kinetic friction on the car acts forward. On the horizontal surface the total normal force is , so Newton's second law gives . While slipping persists,The contact slip speed is . Its first zero is the onset of rolling without slipping, henceThe engine maintains the prescribed wheel speed, so wheel spin-down is not part of this calculation.
On a slope of angle , directed uphill, the normal force is and gravity contributes along the slope. Therefore the uphill acceleration while slipping is . If it is positive, the onset of rolling without slipping occurs atThe inequality follows because . If , the car does not accelerate uphill to , so there is no finite catch-up time in this sliding-friction model. The finite-time conclusion presumes positive traction sufficient to climb the slope.
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